Radio data systems such as the RDS system in Europe and the radio broadcast data system (RBDS) in the United States transmit auxiliary information within the radio broadcast to achieve various automatic functions of the receiver and to increase the utility of the receiver to a listener. The auxiliary information typically includes a traffic capable flag to identify broadcast stations which carry traffic announcements and a traffic announcement flag for identifying that a traffic announcement is currently being transmitted by the broadcast station. Other RDS flags are transmitted to identify emergency alert messages, news broadcasts, and weather announcements, for example. These flags allow a radio receiver to be automatically tuned to a broadcast station that provides traffic information for a driver of an automobile. In addition, a radio receiver can monitor a traffic capable station during times that the audio system is reproducing audio signals from a source other than a traffic capable radio station in order to automatically retune to the traffic announcement when one is present.
Another type of auxiliary information typically broadcasted includes a program type code or a program identification code that identifies a content type by which a broadcast station is operating (e.g., classical, rock, jazz, news, or even specific network programming). The program type code allows a listener to seek or tune the radio receiver to a broadcast station of a particular program format.
Further, the RDS system offers a number of information regarding music tracks that are broadcast. Such information may comprise a title of the music track, a name of the artist or artist group on the music track, etc. Such functionality opens up for a broad spectrum of applications, which may facilitate for the user of a radio tuner, or provide a more flexible use thereof.